1. Field
The following description relates to reconfiguring an active time position of a node in a wireless body area network (WBAN).
2. Description of Related Art
An Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.15.6 standard is a protocol standard of a body area network (BAN). According to the IEEE 802.15.6 standard, a hub and a node may communicate with each other by forming a star topology or an extended star topology. In the star topology, the node may directly communicate with the hub without the use of a relay. In the extended star topology, the node may communicate with the hub using one or more other nodes as relays.
In the extended star topology, the hub or the node may select a relay node. For example, a node may directly select the relay node. In this example, the node may hear an acknowledgment (ACK) signal or a T-poll signal of another node capable of being the relay node, and may determine whether the other node is qualified to be the relay node. To select the relay node, the node and the relay node may need to be awake in the same time interval.
Because a time duration includes an active time and an inactive time, nodes included in a BAN may not hear a signal of another node while in the inactive time. Furthermore, nodes having an active time different from the active time of the node cannot be the relay node.
In another example, the node may communicate with the hub using another node as a relay. In this example, if another node having the same active time is absent around the node, the node may not communicate with the hub.